RodeoHouston Adds Special George Strait Concert March 17

It's getting a little late, but Rocks Off figured we can go ahead and tell you now. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo just announced a tweak in its schedule: There will be no bulls or broncs the final day of RodeoHouston 2013 -- a Sunday that happens to fall on St. Patrick's Day, March 17 -- just a concert in Reliant Stadium by George Strait, Martina McBride and the Randy Rogers Band.

Somewhere across the building, Rocks Off Jr. -- who covered Strait's last Houston performance in August 2009 -- has almost certainly flipped his wig.

Although the horses and cattle will remain in their stalls that day, everything else at the rodeo (livestock show, food booths, midway games, carnival rides, shopping, etc.) will be open. The concert is tentatively scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Strait last performed at RodeoHouston in 2007. Next year will be his 21st performance, after 1983-87 (15 in a row), 2002-04 and 2006-07. The rodeo begins on Feb. 25 and concludes with the BP Super Series Championship on Saturday, March 16.

"I remember the day we flew him in as a replacement act an hour before his performance," HLSR chief operating officer Leroy Shafer said in a statement released Thursday afternoon by RodeoHouston. "He took the stage and quickly stole the hearts of our Rodeo fans.

"And, George has been here for all of the Show's major milestones since that first performance in
1983. We are extremely excited that he is going to close our 2013 Show with this special concert."